Noob looking for advice regarding gear.

U

usama905

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My journey so far:

-Got my m1.

-Enrolled in the safety course for mid September (wanted to be done by now but new job put the breaks on my timeline).

-Harassed every recommended broker found on this site and some random insurance brokers on kijiji for various bikes and their quotes.

-Still on the fence regarding 2 different bike types and my ever growing/shrinking budget is not helping with that fact at all.

My problem at the moment :

I have started to budget out my costs outside of the bike/insurance and wanted to get an idea as to what kind of damage I'm in for. At the very least I want to get a helmet, jacket (maybe body armor), and gloves. Im thinking of holding off on boots(probably going to use my timbs until next season) and pants until Christmas (tentative plan ).

I have tried on a few types of helmets but the one that fit me best was the shoei rf1200 size large with stock cheek pads(it was kinda snug but the XL was too loose ). I would have bought it at the store but the force prevented me from making an impulse decision. I am open to any suggestions on a cheaper variant that might have a similar fit if not that red beacon graphic will soon end up on my porch (the dark side is strong with this one).

Jacket wise after doing some research I found the style I liked but the price tag is making it difficult to push the order now button. I really like the look and feel of the Dainese Razon but that price..... GG. Since then I have been leaning towards the idea of maybe getting something like the Icon Stryker Rig and wearing that under my winter coat since it will be close to October until I get a bike. Also wishfull thinking leads me to hope that the Razon might get closer to my budget during christmas/boxingday/blackfriday in the off months. I would love some input on this idea and whether or not it is worthwhile.

Gloves wise I am completely lost. I dont really have any benchmarks in my head for this aspect of the gear to determine good or bad. I know I will be riding to and from work which primarily means from Brampton to York U via 407 or Steeles. I will definitely be avoiding the track or any similar environment for quite some time. Im not sure if I should be looking at short cuffs or gauntlets and what price bracket should I aim for.

Any help with these matters would be greatly appreciated and no I am not opposed to buying a jacket off kijiji/craigslist used but my size (xxl 6'1'' 250ish lb) makes it difficult to get a good range of products.
 
Spend your money on a helmet. Get one that fits. Shake your head when it's on, it should move with you. Spend at least 20 mins in it to check for pressure points.

Gloves and boots should cover the pokey bones, ankle and wrist. Good soles and palms

Then it's up to you for body armour. For the course you need jean, for the road I'd recommend leather. Taking the course Sept - will you be riding this year besides MSC?
 
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HELMET

FIT is paramount. Your description of the RF1200 fitting "kinda snug, but the XL fitting too loose" suggests you may even fit a medium! You need to remember that the padding will break in. An RF1200 is a fantastic helmet (especially if it fits your head shape), but to do its job (including being quiet) it needs to wrap around your noodle very tightly - even after broken in. Consider a medium. I bought a small GT-AIR, and I am already eyeing extra small replacement cheek pads. My older helmet was an HJC CL-16, and although it worked well for $100 I am now used to a snug fitting helmet, and want it even more snug!

With that said, buying a bike and insuring it is already expensive as it is. DO NOT get suckered into the expensive brands. Yes, fit is very important, but you can still find suitably fitting helmets for a lot less. Also consider how you plan to use the bike. If you're just going to be inner city commuting without a lot of highway running, you don't need the quietest helmet. Something like an HJC would work well enough, and leave you money for GAS in the thank which lets you actually enjoying the motorcycle.

JACKET

Skin grafts are not fun. IMO, spend the money on a nicely vented leather jacket or a top quality textile jacket. Find one with a drop-tail. Don't get a cheaper mesh or textile jacket - they won't hold up. It really sounds like you don't have all the money to spend, so don't spend it. Spend wisely so you can enjoy the bike! Stop looking at Dainese. Don't buy the ICON Stryker get-up. Again, you need to think of your plans for use of the bike. If lots inner city stuff without much highway is the goal - consider textile. If you plan to ride in the rain or as early & late into the season - water-proof with full quilted liner is important. Lots of highway? Beefy textile or leather.

GLOVES

I started with a pair of short-cuff, and have since moved to gauntlet. Leather. Fit is very important, because you're holding on to the bars all the time. If the material bunches up or fits weird it'll irritate you.


In the end I'd suggest you save the money on the helmet (something not SHOEI or ARAI) so that you can go after a great jacket and gloves. I have yet to find a pair of motorcycle pants I like and continue to wear just wear jeans - wearing a base layer in the colder temps. GP BIKES sells Resurgence Jeans which look very good, however.

Hopefully what I offered gives you something more to go on.
 
If you are on a tight budget, consider slighly used gear (not used helmet). There is a store in Oshawa called ReGear that has a decent selection of used gear in good condition at very reasonable prices. Helmets are a different issue. A good quality proper fitting helmet is something I wouldn't compromise on. This is something that will last you for years so in my opinion its worth spending the extra money on.
 
Your financial approach to getting into riding is commendable. You are off to an excellent start. Your age is important if you are under 25yo, as this will affect your insurance premium.

Starting to ride on October is late in the season and it will be challenging to ride much more than 2 months before the snow flies. You might be better waiting until next season to start riding. Riding when it is cold is no fun for some of us. Maybe you have a higher cold tolerance. I can only ride down to +4 or so, with a windshield and heated grips. My hands and feet get too cold, taking the fun out of riding. How long is your commute? Learning to ride when there is slush or cold pavement will be more of a challenge and increase your risk. There is less grip when the pavement is very cold. Remember that wind chill becomes important around +10C, where you will have a 60-100kph wind.

Buying a bike, preferably used, will be cheaper when the riding season is coming to a close and owners would rather sell than store for the winter. Ditto for riding gear. Insurance premiums go down at the end of the season, and during the winter most insurance companies charge zero premiums, probably because most riders don't ride.

A textile jacket will be cheaper and more protective of the cold than a leather jacket, but not as abrasion resistant. Under textile with armour, you can add more layers. I find textile hot in the summer though. There is no one type of jacket for all seasons. Work boots should be fine to start until you have more money. I also recommend used stuff. There are some really great used deals out there that are less than half the price of new.
 
Thanks for the input. Im turning 24 in September so I feel the heavy hammer of Ontario's insurance premiums in every motor vehicle I own/plan to own(living in Brampton does not help).

Outside of work I usually travel via 410/403/401 for pretty much everything. I work by 407 and keele so my only 2 options are the ETR or grinding out an hour going down steeles at 5pm. So point being highway is going to be frequent route option for the bike I get.

The helmet was one thing I am ok to spend quite a bit on but in an ideal world I want to be up and running for close to a grand. With CAD value makes the search for gear a bit rougher. I kinda regret not buying one big ticket item a month for the last few months but I guess hindsight is always PITA.

As things stand I was hopeing to be on the rode first week of Oct and park it away by halloween or early November before it starts snowing :( .But if the alternative means I can save a few hundred on the bike coupled with price drops on gear I might just have to do that. (My inner child will have to listen to my degree in finance for a change i guess ......... :'( )

How I originally hoped to budget my stuff $300-$400 helmet $300-$400 jacket and w.e is left goes towards gloves>jeans>boots>.
 
usama905 said:
...$300-$400 helmet $300-$400 jacket and w.e is left goes towards gloves>jeans>boots>.
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You should be able to stick with your budget. Unless you have a large amount of excess cash buying everything you need will not be possible. Each rider has his own requirements, and as a new rider you really don't know what they are yet. Our changing weather seasons also makes it more expensive. An expensive helmet does not mean more protection but better comfort, lighter weight, better fit. Buy the helmet in person, so you can try it on for more than 20 minutes. Get a leather jacket (better abrasion protection) with armour. Gloves are important because if you fall it is instinctual to extend your arm and break you fall. Wear over the ankle leather boots.

Over time you will continue to buy different gear for different weather conditions.
 
You should budget at LEAST $1000 for decent gear. Considering a helmet can be over $600 and boots can be over $400, that's not much.
 
unL33T said:
You should budget at LEAST $1000 for decent gear. Considering a helmet can be over $600 and boots can be over $400, that's not much.
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Come on now. Don't scare him like that. He doesn't need $600 helmet. Most premium helmets are about the brand name.

The best bang for buck spot is around $300. So HJC or Scorpion would give him just as safe and comfort.

My recommendation is the EXO 1100, which is actually on safe now.

Do not buy $600 helmet until you know riding is for you.

Don't skimp on gloves tho. I would put $150 into gloves. As for jacket, icon offer the best bang for buck. The $200 Overlord line is very good. It offers more protection than bigger brand like A* in the same price range.
 
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Concac said:
Come on now. Dont scare him like that. He doesnt need $600 helmet. Most premium helmets are about the brand.

The best bang for buck spot is around $300. So HJC or Scorpion would give him just as safe and comfort.

My recommendation is the EXO 1100, which is actually on safe now.

Do not buy $600 helmet until you know riding is for you.
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Ok so a $300 helmet still only leaves $600 for a jacket, pants, gloves, and boots. That gives less than $200 each.

I was assuming you wouldn't be buying top of the line gear when I came up with those numbers.

A top end helmet is $1200, boots are the same, high end 2 pc suit can be another $2000... I wasn't throwing those numbers around.

When I started I had the following, before I had a bike:
$300 USD helmet
$450 CAD boots
$100 gloves
$400 jacket
$200 pants

Most of that was on sale.

Obviously you can do it for less but you're not going to have great protection.
 
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unL33T said:
Ok so a $300 helmet still only leaves $600 for a jacket, pants, gloves, and boots. That gives less than $200 each.

I was assuming you wouldn't be buying top of the line gear when I came up with those numbers.

A top end helmet is $1200, boots are the same, high end 2 pc suit can be another $2000... I wasn't throwing those numbers around.

When I started I had the following, before I had a bike:
$300 USD helmet
$450 CAD boots
$100 gloves
$400 jacket
$200 pants

Most of that was on sale.

Obviously you can do it for less but you're not going to have great protection.
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Every budget is different. However yours was in the high range for a beginner.

Avg beginners dont buy full gear. Riding is not for everyone. Get some seat time, ride around the blocks first.
 
I found ebay in the off season to more hit than miss.

I bought an alpinestars t-gp pro jacket for $200, tech gloves for 100, supertech r boots $150, and a pair of astars oxygen riding pants for $100. All in usa, and shipped prices.

New retail is well over $1k easy.
 
Concac said:
Every budget is different. However yours was in the high range for a beginner.

Avg beginners dont buy full gear. Riding is not for everyone. Get some seat time, ride around the blocks first.
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I look at it the opposite. New riders are more likely to crash and hurt themselves. I wanted to avoid killing myself while I learned. Now that I know the gear and the risks I can start cheaping out where I see fit.
 
My first helmet was an $80 snell certified full-face from GP bikes at the show
 
unL33T said:
I look at it the opposite. New riders are more likely to crash and hurt themselves. I wanted to avoid killing myself while I learned. Now that I know the gear and the risks I can start cheaping out where I see fit.
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Ideally, yes, given a large MC warchest and an experienced MC friend, it would be great. But when I started I was a starving student with limited funds. Do you need to be rich to learn to ride? This is not an elite sport for the rich few. Regular people ride around the world. Buying expensive gear from the beginning may not be efficient, as you don't know what is good for you. This comes with experience, which a new rider lacks. Being under 25yo he's already getting pilloried by the auto insurance industry.

Start with the helmet and buy used gear. As you gain experience you'll learn what works for you. Then you'll know what to buy when you have more funds. When starting out people make do with what they have. I still can't afford a $2,000 2 pc suit, nor do I need one.
 
TorontoBoy said:
Ideally, yes, given a large MC warchest and an experienced MC friend, it would be great. But when I started I was a starving student with limited funds. Do you need to be rich to learn to ride? This is not an elite sport for the rich few. Regular people ride around the world. Buying expensive gear from the beginning may not be efficient, as you don't know what is good for you. This comes with experience, which a new rider lacks. Being under 25yo he's already getting pilloried by the auto insurance industry.

Start with the helmet and buy used gear. As you gain experience you'll learn what works for you. Then you'll know what to buy when you have more funds. When starting out people make do with what they have. I still can't afford a $2,000 2 pc suit, nor do I need one.
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In Ontario, I'd say motorcycling kind of is an "elite sport". You can only do it half the year, bikes are expensive, gear is expensive, insurance is VERY expensive. If it was a sport for everyone, more people would be doing it. When I started at 24 insurance alone was over $5000/yr. I know people that can't afford cars. Heck, I know people that can't afford food. When those people see a guy on a bike I can guarantee you they assume that guy's got some extra money to throw away.

You don't NEED those things to start but if you want decent protection, that's what it's gonna cost you assuming it's not used and not on sale (actually the stuff I bought was mostly 50% off). Even Starboy's eBay list comes to $550 and doesn't include a helmet. If you go used, you can save a lot if you don't mind wearing someone else's sweat.

Sure, you can start cheap by getting an $80 helmet, jeans (which protect about as well as a pair of shorts), and some gardening gloves but I wouldn't call that protection.

You can save quite a bit on jackets and pants if you go textile but I personally don't trust textile as I've read too many failure stories.

I could apply the same to cars. Sure you can drive a rust bucket with holes in it, brakes that barely work, no airbags, no antilock brakes and be fine. But if someone were to ask me what their budget should be for a safe car I'm not going to tell them it should be $1000 to buy that crapbox I just described. I'm going to give them a number that will let them buy a car in decent shape with some safety features. He didn't ask what he needs to get on the road, he asked what he should budget for safety gear. Since he's looking at the Shoei RF1200 and Dainese jackets, I'm presuming he doesn't want bottom end stuff.
 
At least it was in quotations, but motorcycling (on the road) is NOT a sport. I'd love to know where you find the competition in it? Perhaps it's in the brand-whore rivalry of rocking super expensive gear? LOL.
 
Bagman said:
At least it was in quotations, but motorcycling (on the road) is NOT a sport. I'd love to know where you find the competition in it? Perhaps it's in the brand-whore rivalry of rocking super expensive gear? LOL.
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I agree. I only called it a sport because Torontoboy did.

Also, I don't actually think $1000 is a price that only the rich elite can afford. Most decent cars cost over $10000. A few thousand for a bike and a grand for gear is still a lot less than that.
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